There’s a good chance that Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian
Twilight is not what you were expecting. This real-time tactical game
shares some attributes with the Tiberium-fueled strategy games that came
before it–flashy graphical effects, GDI and Nod forces pummeling each
other, and a scowling antihero with a stare so intense his eyes pierce
your soul. But Tiberian Twilight stands out not for its use of age-old
series standbys, but for reinvented mechanics that have little in common
with those of its predecessors. Base-building and broad strategizing
have been supplanted by small-scale micromanagement; standard battles
have given way to capture-point conquest. It’s a bold shift for the
apparently final chapter of the saga, though not always a positive one.
The disappointing campaign ends in a conclusion unworthy of Kane’s
melodramatic legacy, and the moment-to-moment gameplay is too limited to
be consistently engaging. And yet the multiplayer action and
single-player skirmishes are good fun, if not remarkably so, and a
system of persistent unlocks provides nice rewards across every mode.
This may not be the exhilarating finale to Kane’s exploits you had hoped
for, but Tiberian Twilight is a pleasant diversion good for occasional
grins, though not for riotous thrills.
Those persistent unlocks are central to the experience–one that takes
place in an always-online environment. Even if you plan on playing only
the single-player campaign and skirmishes against the artificial
intelligence, you must always sign into an online portal first. This
always-online approach to PC games is part of an unwelcome but growing
trend, but at least the game provides some sensible context for it. Like
most strategy games, Command & Conquer 4 offers a single-player
campaign, offline skirmishes, and online battles; but unlike most
strategy games, it rewards you with experience based on your activity in
every mode. No matter which mode you play, finishing a match inches you
closer to your next level. Gaining levels means new units, new powers,
and new upgrades–goodies that you can then take with you into any of the
modes. This persistency, along with the way you automatically join
online chat and can create player parties from the main interface,
contributes to a pseudo-massively-multiplayer environment. This isn’t a
massively multiplayer game, of course, so it’s still a disappointment
that you can’t practice your skills or get reacquainted with Kane if a
windstorm knocks out your Internet connection. Nevertheless, this focus
on community and advancement makes the online-only requirement bearable,
if not wholly reasonable
